India’s Shreyas Iyer (PTI Photo/Atul Yadav) NEW DELHI: Ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, batsman Shreyas Iyer has started a tough phase in his career after suffering a serious spleen injury during the tour of Australia. The injury forced him to be hospitalized and led to significant weight loss. “Coming back from an injury is always challenging. I lost around 7kg due to the injury, it was serious. Fortunately, I was back in good shape after two months. But it took a lot of effort to get the 7kg back. I enjoy challenges and that was the one I had to overcome. I’m glad I got through that phase and I’m back, representing my team and also feel proud to have represented India in the previous series.” preseason press conference.
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Cricket stars gather for Kuldeep Yadav’s grand wedding reception | A night full of starsDespite the setback, Iyer worked hard to regain his fitness and return to competitive cricket. He resumed playing as Mumbai’s captain in domestic cricket and had mixed results thereafter, including a modest ODI series against New Zealand. Yet he still focused on improving and leading from the front. Speaking again about his recovery, he said: “Coming back from an injury is always challenging. I lost about seven kilos and it took a lot of effort to get that weight back. But I love a challenge. I’m glad I got over that part of my life and I’m back, proud to represent the team.” Now leading Punjab Kings, Iyer is fully focused on winning the IPL trophy. “The expectations are high, which is fun. I love the challenge. But the important thing is that whenever we go into it, we have to win. My eyes are on the trophy,” he added. He emphasized the team’s bond off the field, saying, “This is the period where we live as a family for two months,” emphasizing how the time spent together helps performance.Teammate Arshdeep Singh echoed the positive energy, saying, “When you feel the pressure, it’s a privilege.”
